Screw-driver.



No. 674,7 l9. v Patented May 21, I90l. a. L. WOODRUFF.

SCREW DRIVER.

(Application filed Dec. 6, 1900.)

(No Model.) I

WITNESSES I Iv VENTOH Garyl. fladrufl A TfOHNE YS THE nmws mans co. PNOTO-LJ'ND WASHKNGTON. n c.

FFICE.

ATENT GARY LEROY WOODRUFF, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

SCREW-DRIVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,719, dated May 21, 1901. Application filed December 6, 1900- Serial No. 38,950- (No model.)

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GARY LEROY W001)- RUFF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Albany, in the" county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Screw-Driver, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a type of screwdrivers in which a handle and a shank extended therefrom and provided with a screwdriver bit at the end opposite that engaging the handle is adapted for rotation when pressure is applied upon the handle by the operator, so that a screw engaged by the screwdriver bit is thereby driven into material.

The object of my invention is to provide novel features of construction in a device of the character indicated which will afford an implement superior to others of its class and which is adapted for service either as a screwdriver or a drilling implement.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a partly-sectional side view of the improved implement. Fig. 2 is an enlarged partly-sectional side view of the same broken away at the ends and showing more clearly interior details of construction. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view substantially on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2, seen in direction of the arrows. Fig. 4: is a sectional side view of novel details of the .bit holder and rotator, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view substantially on the line 5 5 in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 6 represents the drivershank, which is tubular and cylindrical. Upon the exterior of the driver-shank 6, at and near one end thereof, a coarse-pitched thread 7 is formed or secured, the length of said thread being preferably limited to about one spiral turn around the shank.

A sleeve-nut 8, substantially equal in length with that of the driver-shank 6, is internally threaded throughout its length, and its thread a corresponds in pitch with that of the thread 7 on the shank 6, so that the latter may be readily screwed into the sleeve from one end to a point near the other end. A handle 9 of suitable dimensions and having an axial bore extending from one end nearly to the other end fits loosely upon the elongated sleevenut 8.

On the exterior of the sleeve-nut 8 a featherkey I) is formed or secured, extending longitudinally and having sufficient length for effective service, and a mating keyway or groove is formed in the bore of the handle 9, with which the key I) may engage and hold the sleeve-nut and handle from rotatable movement one upon the other, yet permit the handle to slide freely upon the body of the sleeve-nut.

A spiral spring 10, having about twice the length of the tubular shank 6, is introduced at one end of the shank and extends to a point near the opposite end of said shank, upon which said end of the spring is secured, as indicated at c in Fig. 1. The portion of the spiral spring 10 that projects outside of the end of the tubular shank 6, having the thread a thereon, is mounted loosely upon a guide-rod 11, held concentrically within the sleeve-nut 8 by the engagement of one end of the guide-rod with a locking device 12, firmly secured upon the bottom wall d of the bore formed in the handle 9. The locking device 12 is preferably given the form of a peripherally-toothed disk bedded in a corresponding recess formed to receive it in the bottom wall d of the handle 9, and said disk is secured firmly therein and also upon the adjacent end of the guide-rod 11, the upper end of the spring 10 being affixed to the disk, as indicated in Fig. 5. It will be seen that the guiderod 11, from its position in the sleeve-nut,

' is adapted to enter its free lower end within the upper open end of the driver-shank 6, so that a telescoping action of the parts named may be readily effected and the driver-shank be moved freely within the sleeve-nut. Within the end portion of the driver-shank 6, adjacent to the secured end 0 of the spiral spring 10, the solid stub end 13 is secured, preferably by the cross-pin 6. (Shown in Fig. 1.) The portion of the stub end 13 that projects from the driver-shank 6 is reduced in diameter a short distance therefrom, and

on the reduced body of said stub end a cylindrical thimble 14, having ratchet-teeth g on its lower end, is loosely secured. The preferred means for holding the ratchet-thimble in place on the stub end consists in the formation of two opposite diagonal slots h in the side wall of the thimble, which are loosely engaged by two diametrically opposite studs 2', that project from the stub end 13, and the trend of the slots is such as will permit the ratchet-thimble to reciprocate in the stub end until the studs arrest it, due to their contact with the terminations of the slots.

A capped nut is mounted upon the stub end 13 above the reduced body thereof, and its cylindrical wall extends sufficiently below the ratchet-cut thimble 14: to permit the thread formed therein to receive the exteriorly- 1 threaded upper portion of the cylindric body head.

of the chuck-block 16, which is held from rotation when properly adjusted by the set-screw m,as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The upper portion of the chuck-block 16 is axially bored, providingacircular top flange, which is furnished on the edge with ratchet-teeth g, adapted to interlock with the ratchet-teeth g as the thimble 14 is permitted to seat thereon. The

lower part of the chuck-block 16 is externally threaded and slightly tapered toward the free end, and a suitable clam ping-nut 17 is mounted on said chuck-block.

I prefer to employ the novel screw-driver bit and guard therefor shown in Fig. 1, comprising the bit-body 18, which is cylindrical and tapered at the lower end, as .shown at o in Fig. 1, to provide a Wedgeshaped drivernose for engagement with the kerf in a screw- The upper end of the bit 18 isin tenon form, as indicated at 0, which enters a corresponding notch o in the upper end of the bore, formed longitudinally in the chuckblock 16.

The body of the chuck-block 1b is tapered somewhat and externally threaded for reception of the clamping-nut 17, which screws upon this portion of the chuck-block, and to adapt the chuck-block for clamping engagement with the bit-body 18 the threaded lower portion of the block 16 is oppositely slotted from thelower end upwardly, as shown at n in Figs. 2 and 4.

Upon the bit-body 18 a guar -sleeve 18 is held to slide, said sleeve having two slots n, formed oppositely therein from the lower end upwardly, and two studs of, which project from the bit-body, fit loosely in said slots and prevent the sleeve from slipping off the bit. A spiral spring 18 is mounted upon the bit-body 18 above the sleeve 18 and exerts pressure on said sleeve, the upper end of said spring having enforced engagement with the lower end of the clamping-nut 17. In service the sleeve 18 holds the head of a screw which is engaged with the bit 18 properly centered thereon and prevents lateral displacement of the screw-head while the screw is being driven into material.

The capped nut 15 is in rnished with tongues j), which project from its upper edge, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, two of said tongues being oppositely formed on said nut, having parallel sides and equal height.

In the lower edge of the sleeve-nut 8 two diametrically opposite notches r are formed, in which the tongues 19 may be introduced if the d river-shank 6 is screwed completely within the sleeve-nut, as shown in Fig. 2, and when such an engagement is efiected the device may be employed as an ordinary screwdriver to unscrew a driven screw or to force a screw into hard wood, so as to completely bed the head of the screw therein.

To adapt the improvement for effective service, the coiled spring 10 must be put under sufficient tension to cause the thread 7 to traverse the thread a of the sleeve-nut 8 toward the outer end of said nut if the handle 9 and sleeve-nut have been pressed toward the capped nut 15 and then released. To this end the details of the improvement are adjusted, as indicated in Fig. 1, so, that the thread 7 will be located' at the lower end of the sleeve-nut against a shoulder formed by termination of the thread a, near said end of the nut, and the spring 10 will be fully expanded. The operator now withdraws the handle 9 from engagement with the featherkey I), but not completely from the sleevenut, which will permit the handle to receive rotatable movement on the sleeve-nut in a proper direction to wind the spring closer, and thus increase its torsional force a proper degree, which will adapt said spring to rotate and move the driven shank 6 into the position shown in Fig. 1.

In employment of the improvement for insertion of screws the operator grasps the handle 9, inserts the driver-bit 18 into the kerf in the screw-head, and after giving the screw a proper position where it is to be inserted the screw will be rotated and fully driven upon application of pressure endwise upon the handle 9.

To specifically detail the operation of the screw-driver, it will be seen that the teeth g of the ratchet-cut thimble 14 are normally engaged with the ratchet-teeth g of the chuckblock 16, which serves to couple the drivershank 6 with the chuck-block and driver-bit 1S, and as longitudinal pressure upon the handle 9 will cause the sleeve-nut 8 to traverse the thread 7 it will be evident that the driver-shank will be revolved as it passes into the sleeve-nut. The operation of inserting a screw being completed, the removal of the bit 18 therefrom will permit the torsional force of the spring 10 to reverse the rotatable movement of the driver-shank 6 and will screw it toward the outer end of the sleeveuut, the teeth g of the ratchet-thimble 14 sliding over the teeth g on the chuck-block 16 in an obvious manner, which will permit the free reversed rotation of the driver-shank and attached bit.

IIO

It will be seen that by forming the bit 18 at its free end so as to adapt it for boring holes the implement maybe utilized for forming perforations to receive screws, which will enable the insertion of screws into very hard wood. Furthermore, a bit adapted for boring holes in metal may be substituted for a wood-boring bit, and thus increase the range of utility of the improved implement.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with a tubular drivihgshank having a thread thereon, and an elongated sleeve-nut engaging the thread of the driver shank, of a hollow handle having means for preventing rotation on the sleevenut but mounted to slide so as to release it from such means, a torsion-spring within the shank and sleeve-nut, the ends of said spring being secured respectively upon the drivershank and within the handle near the inner end of its bore, so as to retain connection therewith when the handle is detached from the sleeve-nut, and a bit-holder on the outer end of the driver-shank.

2. The combination with a tubular drivershank, a bit-holder on one end thereof, and a short external thread on the opposite end, of an elongated sleevenut traversed by the screw on the driver-shank, a bored handle held to slide upon the sleeve-nut by a splined connection,and adapted for release therefrom at one end, a torsion-spring occupying the tubular shank and sleeve-nut, the ends of said spring being afiixed respectively to the tubular shank near the bit-holder and within the handle upon its end wall, whereby the bandle is held against complete detachment from the driver-shank.

3. The combination with a tubular drivershank, a bitholder on one end of the drivershank rotatable in but one direction thereon, and an external short thread on the opposite end of the driver-shank,of an elongated sleeve nut traversed by the thread on the drivershank, a bored handle held to slide on the sleeve-nut by a splined connection therewith and adapted for release therefrom by a longitudinal movement, and atorsion-spring within the driver-shank and sleeve-nut, the ends of said spring being affixed respectively to the handle at the bottom of its bore therein by means of a toothed disk and to the drivershank near the bit-holder, thereby permitting the tension of the spring to be regulated by rotation of the handle when it is released from the sleeve-nut.

4. The combination with a driver-shank, a

stub end thereon, a capped nut loosely mounted upon the stub end, and a ratchet-cut thimble held to turn and slide a limited degree on the stub end within the capped nut,of a chuckblock screwing in the capped nut and having teeth that are normally engaged by the ratchet-nut on the thimble, said block being adapted to receive and hold a bit.

5. The combination with a tubular drivershank, an interiorly-threaded sleeve-nut engaging a short thread on the driver-shank, a hollow handle having means for preventing rotation on the sleeve-nut, but mounted to slide so as to release it from such means, and a torsion-spring in the driver-shank and sleeve-nut adapted by its tension to rotate the driver-shank and cause it to traverse the sleeve-nut, of a stub end extended from one extremity of the driver shank, a ratchettoothed thimble held to rock and slide on the stub end, a capped nut on said stub end incasing the thi mble,and a chuck-block screwed into the capped nut and having teeth meshing with the teeth on the thimble, said chuckblock being adapted to hold a bit extended therefrom.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with the driver-shank held to rotate and move endwise, of a ratchettoothed thimble mounted upon one end of the driver-sham k and having a diagonal slot therein, a stud projecting from the driver-shank into the diagonal slot, a capped nut on the driver-shank incasing the toothed thimble, a chuck-block screwed into said capped nut, and a bit held by the chuck-block so as to project therefrom.

7. The combination with a hollow drivershank, having a short external thread on one end,a sleeve-nut mounted on the driver-shank and engaging the thread thereon, and a hollow handle having splined connection with the sleeve-nut throughout a portion of its length, but releasable therefrom when moved toward one end of the nut, of a torsion-spring in the driver-shank and sleeve-nut adapted by its tension to rotate the driver-shank and cause it to traverse the sleeve-n ut, and a guiderod held concentrically within the handle, said guide-rod passing through the spring into the upper end of the driver-shank and serving to support said spring.

IIO

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GARY LEROY WOODRUFF. Witnesses:

WILLIAM R. MOORE, B. F. BITTER. 

